1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to wine bottle closure devices and more particularly wine bottle closure devices that employ a vacuum to remove air from the interior of the wine bottle, preserving the integrity of the wine. Even more particularly, the present invention relates to a wine bottle closure apparatus of improved configuration that employs a hollow bulb structure coupled to a specially configured plug that straps on to the top of the bottle. In one embodiment the bulb extends below the top of the bottle providing less overall height when placement on a refrigerator shelf is desired.
2. General Background of the Invention
Many devices have been patented that relate generally to the concept of pumping air from the inside of a wine bottle after it has been partially consumed. These patents discuss the use of pumps to remove air from the interior of the wine bottle and thus maintain a freshness and integrity of the wine. Other patents have issued that relate generally to squeezable bulb pumps. Examples of these patents can be seen in the following table:
TABLE 1U.S.Pat.ISSUENo.TITLEDATE1,788,795Valve Controlled For BottlesJan. 13, 1931Containing Carbonated Beverages3,129,835Food PreservationApr. 21, 19643,557,986Pressurizing Closure DeviceJan. 26, 19713,602,387Pump and closure AssemblyAug. 31, 19714,482,072Pressurizing Apparatus ForNov. 13, 1984Partially Filled Containers4,684,033Device For Retarding Oxidation ofAug. 04, 1987Partly Consumed Bottle of Wine4,763,803Stopper For a Container Such as aAug. 16, 1988Bottle, and a Pump Connectable TheretoFor Extraction of Gaseous Medium Fromor Pumping in Thereof into the Container4,889,250Vacuum Pump and Enclosure AssemblyDec. 26, 1989For Beverage Container5,031,785Combination Vacuum/Pressure PumpJul. 16, 1991and Valve Stopper for Food orDrink Containers5,957,317Evacuation Actuating Closure forSep. 28, 1999a Container
The Hoban U.S. Pat. No. 1,788,795 entitled “Valve Control Closure for Bottles Containing Carbonated Beverage” is designed to maintain the carbonation of a drink product contained in a bottle by preventing it from becoming “flat”.
In the Collens U.S. Pat. No. 3,129,835, there is said to be value in protecting foods from bacterial deterioration using vacuum. The device disclosed in the '835 patent is said to have particular utility in the protection of coffee and numerous other items of food under vacuum. The Collens device discloses a wide mouth jar having a closure cap that employs valves. A hemispherically shaped flexible member or domed shaped member of rubber is used to squeeze air from the container.
The Poole U.S. Pat. No. 3,557,986 discloses a pressurizing closing device.
The Patnaude U.S. Pat. No. 3,602,387 discloses a pump and closure assembly that employs a bellows 20 said to be molded from a flexible plastic material. The bellows connects to a closure assembly that includes a single one way valve. An exhaust valve is provided at the top of the bellows. When the bellows is compressed, air is evacuated from the bellows. A coil spring is contained inside the bellows. The spring urges the bellows to an extended position so that as it expands. The device pumps air from the interior of a bottle to which it is attached.
The Hankins U.S. Pat. No. 4,482,072 discloses a pressurizing apparatus for partially filled containers.
The Marcus U.S. Pat. No. 4,684,033 discloses a device for retarding oxidation of a partially consumed bottle of wine. It employs a bulb and flexible flow line to pump air from the inside of the bottle.
The Schneider U.S. Pat. No. 4,763,803 discloses a stopper for a container (such as a bottle) and a pump connectable thereto for extraction of gaseous medium from or pumping into thereof into the container. The stopper and pump are separate structures that are connected together only when pumping is to occur. The stopper remains in the bottle as a closure device.
The Beyer U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,250 discloses a vacuum pump and enclosure assembly for a beverage container.
A combination vacuum/pressure pump and valve stopper for food or drink containers is disclosed in the Lemme U.S. Pat. No. 5,031,785.
The Lee U.S. Pat. No. 5,957,317 discloses an evacuation actuating closure for a container.
Some of these patents are designed to work only with wide mouth containers. Others of these devices employ complicated pumping devices that would be expensive to manufacture and prone to damage or leakage. For example, the Patnaude U.S. Pat. No. 3,602,387 employs a bellows with an internal spring. The spring would be an expensive part to install inside of a bellows. Further, the bellows provides a number of sharp corners and seams that would be prone to fatigue, cracking and eventually leakage.
The Hankins U.S. Pat. No. 4,482,072 discloses a complicated pump arrangement that would be expensive to manufacture. It would occupy a huge amount of space if remained in position upon the bottle after installation. The Marcus, '033 patent discloses a complicated pumping arrangement that would occupy an excessive amount of space if it were left attached to the bottle.
The Schneider U.S. Pat. No. 4,763,803 requires a separate pump and separate stopper arrangement that would require one or the other to be located every time the device is to be used. A similar device that employs separate pump and stopper is sold under the mark “Vacuvin”.
It is known that oxygen has a deleting effect on the quality of wine over a period of time. The chemistry of wine is very complex and the constituents can be in the hundreds. Many appear as trace elements and can be directly oxidized from prolonged exposure to oxygen.
Oxygen can also affect the visual appearance of wine, creating a clouding of the wine from oxidized coloring matter within the wine. In addition to the negative deteriorative effects of oxygen on both the flavor and the coloring of the wine, oxygen changes some flavor components into acetic acid.